Molloy College
Abstract
Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States today. While smoking is a significant risk factor, there are other causes of the disease. Second-hand smoke, exposure to radon gas and asbestos, and possibly other environmental contaminants act in conjunction with gender and ethnicity to result in a diagnosis of lung cancer. Numbers indicate that more non-smokers are being diagnosed with lung cancer at this time than non-smokers due to development of the disease after cessation. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly extend the life of the lung cancer patient while studies continue seeking improvement in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
While is has long been acknowledged that lung cancer can be attributable to smoking, there are statistics to show that non-smokers develop lung cancer for a variety of reasons. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked Second-hand smoke, exposure to radon gas and asbestos and other pollutants, and genetics all contribute to development of the disease (Homa et al., 2015).
